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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30099717">I may not understand Aura, but I understand you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfamousPlayer/pseuds/InfamousPlayer'>InfamousPlayer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Yes I ship Korrina with Ash, sue me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:49:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30099717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfamousPlayer/pseuds/InfamousPlayer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seeing someone sacrifice themselves for you is horrible. Living with yourself afterwards was much harder.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Corni | Korrina/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I may not understand Aura, but I understand you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You didn't have to help me you know?" </p><p>Ash looked up from where he was petting Pikachu, his brother in all but blood having fallen asleep on his lap a while ago. Korrina was sat right beside him, cross legged, knee touching his while Lucario snoozed against the wall beside her. Her voice was unusually quiet and subdued, and that immediately alerted the raven haired trainer that something was wrong.</p><p>After all, it was the exact same tone of voice he used when he was upset, and as he had quickly realized, him and Korrina were extremely alike.</p><p>Snorting, Ash kept his voice soft and open, making sure she knew that he wasn't mocking her. "What are you talking about, of course I did. Why wouldn't I have? And it's not like I was the only one who helped either."</p><p>Clemont, Bonnie and Serena had gone to sleep long ago, leaving only Ash and Korrina and their respective partners awake in the treehouse, too excited to sleep and too many things left unsaid, at least in Korrina's side. </p><p>"You know what I mean Ash. You helped more than anyone- you <em>understood</em> better than anyone. Even when-" Her breath hitched, Lucario immediately waking up at sensing his trainer's emotions sway, and Pikachu woke up soon after when Ash hastily made to grab her hand in his, squeezing it tightly and wondering what this feeling in his chest at seeing her close to tears was.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, who was he kidding, he knew perfectly well already.</em>
</p><p><em>"Pika Pika Chu."</em> The electric mouse cooed at the blonde, reassuring her for what must've been the twentieth time that everything was okay, that he wasn't hurt, that she didn't need to apologise. Korrina rubbed his head with her free hand to try and calm down, Lucario's paw on her shoulder doing little to reassure her for once.</p><p>"It's okay Korrina. Really, me and Pikachu have faced way worse before, it wasn't neither yours or Lucario's fault." Her light blue- <em>almost silver, Ash thought, awed and not sure why-</em> eyes stared at his, glistening with tears she was too strong to cry. Korrina quivered a little before shoving her face onto Ash's shoulder, doing her best to hold as many tears as she could, and probably failing miserably. Ash, as always, didn't seem to be even slightly bothered, just shifting his weight a bit to accommodate her better and running a hand through her long blonde hair to try and soothe her.</p><p>Pikachu and Lucario shared a glance, communicating without words and quietly getting up to leave the room. Ash shot them a glance, wondering why they decided to leave, but they both just smirked at him, winking before leaving the treehouse and leaving him and Korrina mostly alone.</p><p>He had a strong urge to throw Pikachu's ketchup inventory away, but he didn't value his life <em>that</em> little.</p><p>Focusing back on the present, Ash continued to run his fingers through Korrina's hair, noticing how she was slowly calming down from what probably were several days of bottled up emotions. Understandable, since they didn't have much time to talk about that disastrous battle that could've ended way, <em>way worse.</em></p><p>Because in Ash's mind, there wasn't much to talk about. Yeah, it sucked, and it was terrifying to see Pikachu be so viciously thrown around like that, and he was pretty sure he was gonna die when he threw himself in front of Lucario's attack, but none of that was even remotely new for him and Pikachu. </p><p>Five years into his journey now. That kinda thing was just another Tuesday. It happened, it sucked, they got over it, never talked about it again. Maybe sometimes they had nightmares, woke up choking in terror and desperately searching for each other, not knowing how things could possibly get better and not knowing if they wanted to keep going, but in the end, they always did.</p><p>Ash didn't know why, not really. But it also wasn't like he needed a reason or anything. He <em>chose</em> to fall and hit his face on the ground. He always got up anyway, so who even cared?</p><p>He sure as hell didn't blame Korrina or Lucario though, but, well, he was older now, and had more than enough experience to know that not everyone brushed off things like <em>that</em> as easily as he and Pikachu did.</p><p>"I was <em>so scared.</em> For Lucario, for our bond, for Pikachu, for <em>you.</em> God, I thought <em>you'd hate me."</em> Ash instinctively flinched, pulling her back from him to look directly into her startled eyes, indignation and anger that he didn't even know where it had come from swelling from inside him, and he swallowed.</p><p>"Don't say that. Don't even <em>think</em> that. That's literally the last thing I could feel for you." Cheeks heating when he realized what he said, and noticing how Korrina's cheeks also turned into a lovely shade of pink, he released her shoulders, backtracking. "I- I mean-"</p><p>"No, I get it." Grabbing his hands this time, she held them close to her heart. He couldn't help but blush harder. "I feel the same way." She smiled at him, and he grinned back, and she looked so incredibly beautiful that he really didn't have words to describe-</p><p>"You have Aura, don't you?"</p><p>And just like that, he completely froze. He almost thought the whole world froze as well.</p><p>Korrina watched as Ash went completely rigid, breath shorting out just a bit, and fought the urge to backtrack. She <em>knew</em> he hadn't told her about it for a reason, but god he just looked so <em>sick</em> all of a sudden, like he could barely put up with himself, and she wanted nothing more than to take that burden off his shoulders.</p><p>So that's exactly what she would do.</p><p>"I- I- I-" Stammering over the same letter several times, Ash couldn't even bring himself to articulate a sentence, horrible memories and grief that weighted much more than Torterra crashing down on him all at once.</p><p>
  <em>I'm so sorry, Lucario.</em>
</p><p>What kind of hero let so many people die?</p><p>Ash did. Because he wasn't a hero. He was just a stupid kid who would never actually get anywhere in life and would just get everyone he love killed and-</p><p>And Korrina's forehead touched his.</p><p>He immediately froze again, for a completely different reason.</p><p>Korrina waited, worried sick but twice as determined, for Ash to calm down, not being able to ignore how close their faces suddenly were.</p><p>She thought of kissing him. </p><p>Had been thinking about it since she and Lucario bested Blaziken really, but god that would've been embarrassing.</p><p>
  <em>Not yet. </em>
</p><p>Finally, <em>finally,</em> after several minutes, Ash spoke again.</p><p>"How... how did you find out?" He asked quietly, voice ragged and sounding so, so tired, and Korrina suddenly had the urge to find whatever caused Ash, sweet, amazing, caring, determined Ash to become this and <em>beat the living shit out of it.</em></p><p>But something way more important was right in front of her.</p><p>"I noticed how you seemed to understand Lucario better than even me, like you could somehow sense what he sensed. And back when we were looking for the cave and Lucario sensed the Lucarionite, you just balked in place. You sensed it too didn't you?" She asked softly, her voice hiding most of her curiosity, because that really wasn't her main concern right now.</p><p>But still, she wanted to know how it worked. It was so cool! </p><p>She hoped Ash realized that. </p><p>Shaking his head, Ash freed one hand to rub furiously at his eyes, which just made more tears drop. "Sort of. I sensed what Lucario sensed, not exactly the stone itself." It was all he said because the idiot was too busy rubbing furiously at his eyes, and Korrina grabbed his hand again before he could hurt himself.</p><p>"It's okay to cry, you know?" The blonde asked gently, setting their hands in her lap, not wanting to let his hands go. He just shook his head, but didn't try to pull them away. "That won't fix anything." It sounded practiced and like he had said it to himself a million times, and Korrina scowled.</p><p>"Torturing yourself over it isn't gonna fix it either!" She hissed, immediately regretting it when he flinched back a bit, lowering his eyes to his lap and keeping his mouth shut.<em> "Nice going Korrina, being yelled at is definitely what he needs right now."</em> The blonde berated herself, before focusing back on her... friend?</p><p>It kinda felt disappointing to call him that all of a sudden.</p><p>Brushing that thought away, she freed her hands to cup his face instead. He tensed, this time an instinctive reaction clearly developed over time, and fury rose in her chest again, but she swallowed it down. Turning him to look at her, she stared at his eyes with the same conviction he showed her, for no other reason than wanting to help someone.</p><p>"I'm here Ash. <em>I'm here." </em></p><p>That seemed to do the trick, as his breath hitched, and just like her, he absolutely refused to cry. Guess they really were a lot alike. </p><p>She couldn't think of a better compliment than that.</p><p>Reaching up to grab her slender wrists, he allowed just a little bit of Aura to swirl around his hands, flowing to Korrina's hands before going back to his. She let out a tiny gasp, knowing what to expect but not sure if she actually believed it until that very moment.</p><p>"There was this place in Kanto called Rota, you see? Me and my friends, Brock, May and Max went there during my Battle Frontier Challenge. I won a tournament, and I got to dress up in Sir Aaron's old clothes and wield his staff." </p><p>Her eyes were impossibly wide now, not believing her ears but believing in Ash more than anything. She knew, knew with all her heart, that he wasn't lying to her. Why would he anyway?</p><p>
  <em>No one could fake that much pain in their voice.</em>
</p><p>"Turns out, his Lucario was inside the staff all along. Apparently Sir Aaron had trapped him inside there and was a traitor, and I didn't really care, cause Pikachu kinda got kidnapped by Mew and, well, things only got more complicated after that."</p><p>
  <em>How does it get more complicated than a revived war veteran and a Mythical who was theorized to be the ancestor of all Pokemon kidnapping his best friend?</em>
</p><p>Korrina really didn't know what was coming.</p><p>"And then, there was this really awesome tree, called the Tree of Beginning, and it was super important and apparently Pikachu was there, and so we had to go after him, but apparently the tree was dying or something, and it was really bad because if the tree died than pretty much all Pokemon around it died too, and I- <em>we</em> couldn't let that happen."</p><p>Korrina was completely focused on Ash at this point, not even trying to think about anything, and not daring to speak up. This moment felt sacred, reserved only to her, and that was probably the case, because she doubted that he had ever told another soul about this.</p><p>Just like her, there wasn't anything he hated to talk about more than the things that upset him.</p><p>"Me and Lucario, we used our Aura to help Mew fix the tree, and it was really, <em>really</em> draining us both." Her eyes widened. She knew very well what happened once your Aura hit zero. The fact that Ash could've died like that... <em>horrified</em> her, much more than Lucario punching a hole through him did, and she didn't think that was possible.</p><p>"Lucario didn't let me finish though." </p><p>Korrina's stomach sank, as she watched tears finally fall freely down his cheeks, and the blonde did her best to wipe them away but more just kept coming. She had a pretty good idea of what happened next.</p><p>Taking a shuddering breath, Ash's hands stopped glowing blue, and Korrina almost balked at the lack of life force running through her hands and wrists. Clearly, Ash had wiped himself out here. </p><p>She didn't blame him in the slightest. She was currently trying to not cry her eyes out as well.</p><p>"Lucario gets to be with his best friend again, so really, it's okay." He shrugged, trying for some mockery of cheerfulness, but not even him could make that sound convincing right now. "I'm just being selfish like <em>always."</em> He almost hissed at himself, and Korrina's eyes immediately flicked back to his. </p><p>She could see the self hate clear as day. Had seen it in herself a few times. And she <em>wasn't</em> going to let him keep going like this.</p><p><em>How</em> did<em> he keep going like this?</em></p><p>"Don't say that. Don't even <em>think</em> that." Flashing back to his previous words, Korrina took a deep breath. "I know this isn't what you wanna hear, but it wasn't your fault Ash. Lucario <em>chose</em> to do what he did. He knew what was coming next. And he didn't want that to happen to you. I know you think you're the one who have to save everyone and never get anything in return, but even a hero needs to be saved sometimes." She didn't even think about it, because that's what Ash was: a hero. And she had absolutely no doubts about that.</p><p>
  <em>She wasn't going to let Ash have any either.</em>
</p><p>Snorting, Ash let out something akin to a laugh, but it was so small and broken, specially coming from him, that it could've very well been a whimper.</p><p>"I'm no hero. I don't know why people still think that. What kind of hero lets so many people die and keeps acting out of character and <em>still can't move on?"</em> His voice broke, and the blonde was pretty sure her heart broke too. "It's a <em>joke</em> someone as bad as me is supposed to be the hero."</p><p>Freezing, Korrina decided enough was enough. Cupping his face, she leaned forward. </p><p>Their lips met. </p><p>Ash froze, and Korrina was pretty sure she froze too, but she didn't even think about backing down. Words weren't gonna do, Ash was stubborn, just as stubborn as her, and so <em>this,</em> this was gonna have to work.</p><p>Probing his mouth with her tongue, Korrina let out a pleased sigh when he allowed it to pass, his hands coming up to cup her face, her arms wrapping around his neck as the kiss deepened, and she hoped with all her heart and stupid feelings that he felt what she couldn't convey with words.</p><p>
  <em>You're a hero, you're amazing, you deserve better, you can cry, you can grieve, you are not to blame.</em>
</p><p>Finally pulling out for air, they both fought to catch their breath, faces burning hotter than a Charizard's tail, but both feeling so much better than before they did it.</p><p>Finally locking eyes again, they slowly grinned like idiots at each other. "That wasn't a joke." She said softly. "No. No it wasn't." He answered just as softly, and yup. She had gotten through him alright. But just to make sure, Korrina grabbed his hand, and he immediately grabbed her other one. </p><p>"That's the kind of hero you are, Ash. That's the kind of hero you've always been. I believe in you, and I know a lot of other people do too. So even when you don't believe in yourself, you better remember: you're not alone. Because I might not understand Aura, but I'd like to think I understand you." His eyes were watering again, and she was pretty sure hers were too, but he grinned shakily back at her anyway.</p><p>"I won't forget it. <em>Ever."</em></p><p>Grinning back at him, she kissed him again. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah, okay, I'll admit it, I ship Ash with Korrina. I'm sorry but their chemistry in XY and in her episode in Journeys was too much for me to ignore, not to mention that Korrina is pretty much Ash's female version, which is why they get along so well. So after almost a year of scouring the internet only to not find shit, I've had the brilliant idea that, hey! If there isn't any Ash/Korrina stories out there, I'll just make a horrible story to satisfy my weird need and everyone will be happy! I'm such a genius I know. Also this is my first time writing any kind of romance, so if it feels forced or straight up sucks then, well, then fuck you nobody asked your goddamn opinion.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Just kidding, I love all of you and feel free to yell at me at the comments as to why this sucks and why Amourshipping is the the better pairing. Seriously, you can totally do that if you want.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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